The Howler of the Appalachian Hollow
- Shadows&Secrets
- Jul 29, 2025
- 2 min read
Deep in the ancient ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains, something watches from the dark…
There’s a stretch of land in the heart of the Appalachians where time seems to slow—and where locals refuse to linger after sunset.
In Avery County, North Carolina, tucked between moss-covered stones and forgotten logging trails, sits an old, abandoned homestead known to locals as Carter Hollow. The house, rotting and choked by overgrowth, hasn’t had a resident in over 70 years—but people still hear things from the woods surrounding it.
And worse, some have seen things.
The Legend Begins
According to local folklore, in the early 1900s, the Carter family lived in that hollow—cut off from the rest of the world. The story goes that the youngest daughter, Ellie Carter, went missing one stormy night, just after her 11th birthday. A search party scoured the mountain, but she was never found. Her mother, overcome with grief, swore she could hear Ellie crying in the woods—begging to come home.
Then came the howling.
Witness Accounts
Locals and hikers have reported hearing an eerie, drawn-out howl echoing through the valley at night. Not the call of a coyote, not a bobcat—something deeper, almost human. One hiker in 1996, Jamie Price, claims she saw a girl in a white nightgown standing barefoot in the snow, her mouth open in a silent scream, before she vanished behind a tree that had no leaves in mid-June.
The tree, oddly enough, has never bloomed again.
The Rangers Know
Park rangers in the area—off the record—warn campers to steer clear of Carter Hollow. Some say their radios cut out when they approach the area. Batteries drain fast. One ranger admitted that during a routine patrol, he heard a whisper say, “She’s cold.” He was alone.
He never went back.
A Warning From the Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains are some of the oldest in the world—older than the bones of dinosaurs. And with that age comes secrets.
If you ever hike the Blue Ridge, and the wind suddenly dies…
If your flashlight flickers, or you hear a child’s voice when no one is around…
Don’t follow it.
Don’t look back.
And never answer the howler.
Do you love strange, dark and mysterious stories? Make sure you checkout my YouTube channel Shadows & Secrets @ ThatsSpookyBree for more creepy stories that will keep you up at night!
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